Election time action: support a BC graduate scholarship program

Let BC's election candidates know we support the creation of a BC Graduate Scholarship!

Over the past few years, the GSS has worked with graduate student organizations at UBC, SFU and UNBC in advocating for the creation of a graduate scholarship program in BC. Our proposal is here.

Elections are a chance to raise important issues, and I hope you will take the time to send the party leaders a message about the importance of funding graduate education in BC.

Provincial graduate funding is important because:

 - Among the larger provinces, only BC has no graduate scholarship program

 - Graduate students contribute to the university as teachers-which in turn helps the ability of the university to accommodate undergraduate enrollment

 - A funded graduate student completes their degree in a timely manner

 - Graduate students contribute to the province-whether through research that benefits BC communities, or by adding to our province's ability to innovate after graduation

Visit http://bcgradscholarship.ca to send your message.

Here you'll find some sample text. You can send it as is, but we strongly encourage you to create your own message.

Please circulate this call to the students and faculty in your department to help us spread the word.

And of course, don't forget to vote on May 14!

Stacy Chappel

GSS Executive Director

Authorized by the University of Victoria Graduate Students' Society, registered sponsor under the Election Act, 250-472-5163.

Changes to immigration benefit (some) international PhD students

The minister of state for science and technology, Gary Goodyear, announced today the process for International students doing their PhD in Canada to become Canadian citizens is being streamlined -- but only for students in specific areas, such as sciences and engineering, following along with other changes to immigration recently.

Once 2 years of a PhD have been completed, eligible students can apply for citizenship. This change is coming nearly immediately, with applications being accepted November 5. There will be 1,000 spaces in the program.

Read the CBC story here.

This is great news for PhD students who want to stay in Canada (and stop paying differential fees), so long as they are in the right program... but what about those in other research areas?



Recently, the provincial government has been pushing for international recruitment, opening BC scholarship programs to international students, for example. I wonder if immigration offers is a way to make Canada more competitive in recruiting international students. AUCC president seems to think so. AUCC's press release on the change is here.

I think this may be the most pro-grad student comment I have heard from the feds:
Doctoral graduates play a unique role in the economy. They drive research, encourage innovation and pass on their knowledge through teaching,” said Minister Goodyear. “And quite simply, Canada needs more of them.” (from the press release).

Committees, Committees, and more Committees

In many ways, universities are run by committees. Committees approve new academic programs, hire all senior administration and department chairs, and oversee new campus services. UVIC even has a committee on committees!

Living in residence? Got a child in the UVIC daycare? You might be interested in some of our committee vacancies.

Love to reward great teaching? Seats on the Gillian Sherwin Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Andy Farquarson Teaching Excellence Award for Graduate Studentscommittees are now seeking graduate students.

Interested in UVIC fudraising, art galleries, and government relations? You could be on the appointment committee for the new AVP External Relations, who is responsible for all these things.

While we are at it, you  might be interested in the vacancies on grad council or some of the GSS committees like the Health and Dental Appeals Committee, Events Committee or various campaign committees (which are looking at grad student housing, creating a grad student advocate office, looking at GSS relationships with UVSS clubs and advocacy groups (and grad student fees for these groups), or examining our means of allocating seats on grad council) – email me at gssmgr[at]uvic.ca if you are interested in these committees.

photo blog chronicles free snacks of academia

The GSS has been all about food of late .... Wednesday Coffee is bringing a crowd every week, and the new Grad House menu is peppered with grad student references. It has been my experience that food draws grad students. Apparently Jorge Chan agrees.

Thus, I was amused when I found Refreshments will be provided, a photo blog featuring free food offerings in academia.

What is the food that keeps your thesis going? (Are you among the legions of grad students who have told me of your despair since biblio cafe replaced their veggie wrap? Do the undergrad who make your americano at the Munchie Bar know more about your thesis progress than your supervisor?

Grad rep? Moi?

Grad Students… Be your department Grad Rep to the GSS!
 
What do the Graduate Representatives do?
-  represent the interests of fellow grad students in your department
-  report back to your home department on discussions and decisions made during grad council meetings
-  where possible, sit on one university committee a year
-  hold a departmental meeting at least once a semester to discuss common issues of concern and bring concerns and issues raised back to grad council 
-  participate in major governance decisions about the GSS (e.g. last year, the Grad Rep Council was involved in discussions regarding changes to the health and dental plans)
-  attend the monthly grad rep council meetings the Annual General Meeting and Semi-annual General Meeting
-  participate in GSS sub committees and represent graduate students to committees of the university

How do I become the Graduate Representative?
It is up to students in each department to select a representative. This call for grad reps should be forwarded to students in your department by email by the department graduate secretary. Typically interested students submit their name to the graduate secretary, and if there are several candidates, elections are held either by ballot in the department office, email vote or election at a meeting of all graduate students in the department. The nature of the election is determined by the students in the department, and usually depends on the number of students enrolled, whether the department has a department graduate students union that can administer the election, and whether many students are studying by distance. Departments should make efforts to select the representative before the first meeting of the Council on Tuesday, September 27 

Can there be more than one representative for a department?
Grad Council meetings are open to all members of the Society. However, each department has only one vote. If the representative is unable to attend a meeting, an alternate may attend in her/his place. If a representative fails to attend three consecutive meetings without sending an alternate, she or he shall be deemed to have resigned from the Council.

When does the Council meet?
Grad Council meetings are usually held on the last Tuesday of each month, at 5 pm at the Graduate Students' Centre (see exceptions below). In September there will be a meeting September 27 at 5pm. normally, there is no meeting in December or between April and August. Pizza or other light fare is served for dinner. (January 2012 meeting will be on Tuesday the 24th).

I’ve been elected, what now?
Please ensure that your grad secretary sends notice of your election to the GSS by email at gssmgr [a] uvic.ca. Successful candidates can contact Stacy Chappel at gssmgr[at]uvic.ca to provide contact information and obtain more information.

Any questions:
Please call/email Stacy Chappel at 472-5163 / gssmgr[at]uvic.ca.

PhD Comics Movie confirmed

This article confirms the rumour of a PhD comics film ... slated to hit campuses in the Fall. Please Cinecenta, bring this to UVIC! The GSS will ensure a full house.

could it be true? a PhD Comics movie?

UPDATE: UVIC PhD Comics movie screening set for January 17, 2012, 7pm at the Grad House. 

Check it out here: facebook event page or  gss website event notice
 ----- original post follows---

Rumours have emerged on the PhD Comics facebook page that there will be a PhD Comics movie. !!!

Surely it is worth a travel grant to go participate (in California).

Not only that -- you could be an extra! Posted April 6th

Do you live in/near Southern California (or know someone who does) and want to be an extra in the PHD movie? Please e-mail movie@phdcomics.com

Original post here.


But I thought that post docs were too invisible to show on film.

A little GSS history

I admit to watching with interest as Pro- and Ant- CFS campaigners dash about campus for the pending UVSS referendum on CFS memebrship, and my thoughts turn to our own departure from the CFS in March 2008.

No doubt for similar reasons, I was asked by some undergrads what our reasons for leaving were. I am not sure the situation of undergrads in 2011 is the same as those at the GSS in 2008, but I posted the GSS articles from the era here for those who are curious.

News of interest: $2M penality for McGill and Cracks in the PhD Glass Ceiling

Quebec slaps McGill with $2M penalty over MBA

Tuition increase to 29,500/year going too far, say courts.



Meanwhile, the "glass ceiling" has some cracks at the PhD and Full prof level:

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=415400&c=1

It would be good to know how this relates to the 60% majority female undergrads over the same time periods...

The Martlet | Students asked to partially fund new facilities

The Martlet | Students asked to partially fund new facilities

The athletics fee issue is back. The GSS was active in the campaign to defeat this last year by calling on the Minister of Advanced Education (now Science and Universities) and the BC Tuition Limit Policy.

some past news on this issue:

Coverage of the campaign victory at UBC Insiders
Some past Martlet coveragae here.

And hey, here's the campaign info from the last time around.

kick start you writing using online motivational tools

Beyond my life working for graduate students at the gss, I also have a secret life as a graduate student.

This term I am to submit my research proposal. Through my first two terms of graduate school, I have attempted to journal as a means to help my writing process, but with limited success.

Today I embarked on a new effort to ensure I do keep to my writing commitments, partly inspired by Joan Bolker's book, Write your dissertation in 15 minutes per day. (What an inspiring title!) Which advocates keeping a research journal.

But for those, like me, who need some prodding, some online tools may be of interest.

Do you forget to write every day? Oh, Life may be fore you. It is a simple system. you set up an account using your email, and then each evening Oh, Life sends an email asking about your day. You respond, and that is these emails become the substance of your journal. After you build up content, it will send snippets of past entries as reminders/starting points, selected at random. I wish I could choose its question to suit my purpose (not "how was your day" but "how's the research?" or something ... as long as it isn't "are you done your thesis yet?"). However, I can't fault the simplicity of the system, and the fact that an email prompt will likely be helpful for someone like me.

If goals and rewards are what you need, you might like the online journal, 750 words. With this site you are encouraged to login and write 750 words per day, and if you do this for five days in a row you get a little reward (penguin badge), and each month you get a score card with more points the more days you write. The site also assigns moods based on what you write (which unnerves me). There are challenges as well -- you could end up on the wall of awesome (or wall of shame) so think on that before choosing your pen name!

In both cases, the online journal can be downloaded for use elsewhere. Perhaps in your thesis methods section!

BC Student Activism goes waaaay back

In a tribute to the students around the world standing up for public post secondary education systems in past weeks, here is some archival footage of BC's first (I expect) student demonstration -- the UBC Great Trek of 1922, which demanded the campus finally be build so students didn't have to study crammed in old huts.

On a personal note, I recently learned my Great Aunt Eunice was a student on the Great Trek, as my cousin found a letter she wrote home describing the demonstration to her family. Guess I know where I get my activist streak!




Here is a bit of a history lesson in a bit of a bland but more structured and informative video about BC's history of establishing universities. Given the financial struggles we are having, it is good to learn from this mini-doc that BC's biggest university fought off closure during the great depression, only 7 years after it opened.



To learn about some current grad student campaigns visit the UVIC GSS at http://gss.uvic.ca

BC Cabinet shuffle creates ministry of science and universities

Ida Chong - a former Minister of Advanced Eduction - is to take the helm of the new ministry, something UVIC VP Research has described as positive. Denmark has a similar ministry. (Any Danish students have insight into this model?)

The Vancouver Sun has described the shuffle as uninspiring (and the cabinet as too large).

According to the Vancouver Sun

[Chong will] now be responsible for university financing, degree approval, student financial assistance and research, innovation and technology. Although universities are mainly self-sustaining, Chong will oversee annual university spending of more than $1 billion a year across B.C.

She'll also oversee millions in provincial research grants, matched by federal and private partners.

This is curious as when asked about BC's high rate of student debt and tuition, Chong asserted in an interview on CBC Radio Victoria that taxpayers (note, not citizens) pay 70% of the cost of the university, and that BC tuition is mid range. (Too bad they cut the BC Grad Scholarships, which would have made BC more competitive with Ontario).

UVIC's audited statements (2009) shows BC contribution to UVIC is 40% of UVIC's funding, and all government funding combined adds up to 54% of UVIC's funding- just enough to continue to be called "public" universities. Tuition accounts for 24% (up from 12% in my day) and almost as much comes from sales of services (books, residency and meals anyone?).

Hopefully this change will see an increase in graduate student support in the sciences - but won't indicate neglect of the other important fields of study in our universities.

Festival of Budget news

Here is some more detail regarding the 2010 budget from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development, there is this mention of graduate students:

Objective 1.2: BC’s post secondary education sector fosters creativity, innovation and knowledge development.

British Columbia’s future economy will be shaped by innovation. Collaborative partnerships and knowledge development will be critical to unlocking BC’s full economic and creative potential in the years ahead. Our ability to capitalize on BC’s leading-edge research and competitive strengths in key knowledge industries will require unprecedented collaboration between government, post secondary institutions and industry. It will also require a province-wide effort to build a culture of science in BC to ensure the province has a critical mass of people with the knowledge and skills needed to support the knowledge-based economy.

Strategies

- Work in partnership with the Ministry of Small Business, Technology and Economic Development on the continued development and management of research and innovation policy and research-related investments.

- Support research and innovation through operating grants to post secondary institutions, targeted funding for graduate students, and through the BC Knowledge Development Fund, which supports investments in research infrastructure.

- Work with partners to advance a culture of science across BC.

But what does it mean?

In past years the government has set targets for increasing grad enrollment. They have also created, then expanded, then put on hold the BC Pacific Leaders scholarship program which funded graduate students. This doesn't indicate if there will be a shift to more or less, or maintenance of the same.

The Advanced Education ministry's service plan also mentions international student recruitment as a key goal for BC, with Goal 3 to make BC a "global destination of choice for students, skilled workers and entrepreneurs".

Increasing first nations participation is another key goal, but unfortunately no specific targets are given except to increase enrollment over previous years.

Supporting research universities is also given as part of a plan to increase the knowledge economy in BC. They specifically mention supporting research in key labour market areas as well, and medicine gets a particular nod with a goal to increase the number of doctors. This sort of thing makes universities nervous. Traditionally universities have been arms length--receiving government funds, but able to allocate to areas of research and education as they choose. Recently past couple years, the ministry created quite a stir by adding "Letters of Expectation" to their funding letters, with the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of British Columbia arguing the letters violated the University Act. The ministry seems to be addressing this fear in particular with Minister Stillwell's introduction:

We want our public universities to have the independence and flexibility needed for them to pursue their unique areas of excellence in partnership with others, and in a way that provides better services for students. Working closely with our institutions, we will be exploring ways for them to unleash their creativity and thrive in an increasingly competitive market.

You can read the full BC Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Management Development March 2010 service plan here.

Grad School in Pop Culture

Aside from PhD Comics, and bit parts (like two episodes of the Simpson (here and here) and references to the grad work of the depressed uncle played by Steve Carrell in Little Miss Sunshine) how often does grad school make its way into the plot of popular (or even unpopular) culture? There are zillions of films about undergrads, of course--including Canada's highest grossing film ever, btw.

If you are starved to see your life as a grad student represented on the screen, you may wish to catch the latest episode of Being Erica which features Erica travelling back in time to grad school and a remembered confrontation with her supervisor. Yike!

A recent article on blueavocado.org about the lack of pop culture references to non profits (or at least the lack or realistic ones) got me thinking... where are the grad students in pop culture?
We certainly have an abundance of lawyer shows and doctor shows, and oh yes, detectives. Why not charities, or jobs like mine, working in a non profit--the GSS. Better yet, why not a show in a student union for grad students!

Martlet Story: GSS responds to athletics referendum

Amy Cox and Mike Large have been busy ensuring grad students are heard on the referendum campaign with two recent op eds in the Martlet.

Newest is here:
http://www.martlet.ca/article/20376-gss-disappointed-with-referendum-information

My fave comment is "Why is the GSS so well run?" Thanks, "argh", it's because we have people like Amy and Mike!!

Thinking of running for grad council?

Hey grad students ! Why not run for grad council as your departmental graduate representative to the GSS?

Info here:

http://gss.uvic.ca/#GRCelection

BC September 2009 budget update and graduate students

BC's September budget update makes little mention of graduate school, graduate students or research, although graduate studies is briefly mentioned as one targeted area of expansion in the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour service plan.

Capital spending is discussed in the budget speech, with $500 million for capital expansion on campuses--$86.4 million is going to UBC's pharmaceutical research facility--which is a drug commercialization facility. The ministry must disclose projects over $50 million, sp presumably the rest of the capital spending falls under that amount. Other major projects mentioned focus on environmental technologies or research, including Okanagan College's Centre for Green Building Technologies ($27.6 million), Energy House project at Northern Lights College ($7.8 million) and 21 million for UNBC's project involving turning waste wood into energy. Indeed, the investment in research and development mentioned in the budget speech is in green energy.

The Ministry's service plan shows an increase in funds directed to post-secondary institutions (5% increase). Bear in mind there is a 2% price index increase over last year, and UVIC is slated to have a 14% increase in graduate enrollement this year. Meanhile there's a 15% cut back to Student Aid BC--this is for ministry spending so whether this will result in cuts to bursaries, and exactly how this will be handled, is not yet clear. But earlier this year, the Pacific Leaders graduate funding was put on hold, and other student support focussed on helping disabled students, nursing students and those needing loan forgiveness was quietly cut in July (see Vancouver Sun article).

Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Development service plan

http://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2009_Sept_Update/sp/pdf/ministry/almd.pdf

Budget speech

http://www.bcbudget.gov.bc.ca/2009_Sept_Update/speech/Budget%20Speech_Sept_2009.pdf

Grad Students and self funding

I always find it fascinating and impressive to see how graduate students manage to do so much while in school.

For instance, Nursing grad student Pasquale Fiore teaches nursing courses at Camosun and is a Reiki master... he also manages to keep up with artistic hobbies. Today he showed me he art cards today--they are on sale at the UVIC bookstore and feature Victoria and BC lanscapes and scenes.

you can see his work here on a sight dedicated to creative work by nurses--so it seems he is not alone among his colleagues in creating art work!

I asked him how he manages to pursue a graduate degree, his SSHRC research, teaching and his art projects, and he says, "With a very good iPhone. It beeps and tells me what to do!"

So next time you need to send mom a card, check out Pasquale's cards at UVic bookstore!

Pacific Leadership Scholarship being cut?

I heard the BC Advanced Education critic for (Rob Fleming, MLA) saying the Pacific Leaders graduate scholarship has been cut in the recent BC budget.

Please sign this petition to keep graduate student funding in BC!

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/pacific-leaders-graduate-student-fellowships.html